The Dragon of the Sands
by Pensage
Summary: Mere days after the conclusion of the Grand Magic Games, an infamous independent wizard arrives at Fairy Tail, seeking to join the guild's ranks. Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time before his old sins catch up with him, and he's forced to face the truth about himself... lucky for him, his Fairy Tail guild-mates aren't gonna let him do it alone!
1. Chapter 1

**I recently became addicted to this show, so I (of course) had to write _something _about it! This fic is gonna mostly focus on my OC, but from his perspective (mostly), you'll see other characters getting into all sorts of trouble, and maybe finding new _relationships_ along the way. Anywho, I hope you like it, and be sure to fave, follow or review!**

* * *

"For the last time… OUT!" The towering figure's roar scattered the tumultuous throng, sending the mass of starry-eyed strangers and fame-seekers out into the streets of Magnolia.

"Damn, Makarov," Macao said as the Guild Leader shrank down to his normal, diminutive size, "that seemed a bit… harsh."

"Bah!" The aged wizard shook his head contemptuously. "Ever since our beloved Fairy Tail won the Grand Magic Games, our hall's been flooded with wizards and tourists, all looking for a piece of the pie. Frankly, those roaches are lucky I didn't squash 'em into the floorboards!"

"Calm yourself, ya old coot," Gildarts said with a sly grin, coming up behind the Guild Leader and clapping a hand on the older man's shoulder. "Don't waste my visit complaining about our little family's publicity! Besides, there's nothin' wrong with some new recruits."

"Well, I'd rather wait til this "Fairy Tail Fever" fizzles out a bit…" Makarov grunted, hopping up to his usual place on the bar counter. "Once that happens, the useless ninnies should be filtered out, and it'll be easier to find more promising young wizards. You should both know that I hate turning people away," he said, slapping Macao's and Gildarts's backs, "but I don't think I have a choice, at least for the time being."

"I know what ya mean," Macao said, absent-mindedly running a finger down his bristly mustache. "Still… after all of the chaos and drama stirred up by the Games, it's nice to be back to the way things used to be." The blue-haired wizard smiled, nodding across the hall at a scuffle he saw rearing to erupt. "Yep, just like old times!"

* * *

"_What_ did you say to me, you pan-seared _imbecile_?"

"I _said_ that I could put you in the ground right _now_, frosty the _lame_-man!"

"Could you guys _please _stop fighting? For just a couple minutes?"

"Not gonna happen, blondie… these morons aren't gonna shut the hell up unless I knock some cold, iron _sense_ into em."

"Aye!"

With a roar, Natsu launched himself over the table, his fist enveloped in flames and barely blocked by a shield of Gray's trademark ice. The two wizards immediately flew into wild, chaotic combat, an exasperated Lucy ducking behind Levy's Solid Script: Guard in an attempt to avoid a large and menacing icicle.

As Gajeel leapt into the fray behind her, Lucy sighed loudly, making her blunette friend giggle behind one of her slender hands. "I can't believe those boys…" the Celestial Wizard said. "You'd think that after all of the craziness they've been through lately, they'd manage to put a lid on it for once, ya know?"

"Therein lies the problem, Luce," Levy said, leaning back against the wooden table behind her. "Craziness is where those goofballs are at their most comfortable… personally, I'm glad to see the three of them having at it like that. Anything else would just be weird!"

"I suppose you're right," Lucy said, sitting beside her friend with her elbows back on the table, her keys jangling at her hip. "Just another day in the life of the Fairy Tail wizards, eh?"

_Bang._

The sound of the hall's doors being bashed open turned every head in the Guild Hall, and even managed to put a cork in the 'sparring' trio, who were still sprawled across the floor like grumpy ragdolls. All eyes turned to the main doors, and almost all of them widened when they saw the imposing figure that stormed into the room.

"Laxus is back already?" Natsu whispered to Gray, following the Lightning Dragon Slayer with his narrowing eyes. "I thought he was on some long S-class job!"

The Ice Mage shook his head. "Nah, I heard he had some stuff to take care of before he left… I wonder what's got him all worked up?"

"That guy's always been a half-step from _crazy_, if ya ask me," Gajeel growled, sitting up and lazily brushing some of his ebon mane back over his head.

The towering wizard crossed the hall in long, even strides, a stern expression on his face and his hands stuffed into his pockets. He and Makarov locked gazes from across the room, and the elder Dreyar saw an unusual mix of excitement and determination in his grandson's cold eyes.

"Hello, Laxus," Makarov said when the young man had reached him.

"Gramps," the Slayer said with a gruff nod.

"What're you doin' here?" the Guild Leader asked, his wrinkled brow furrowed. "I'd heard that you'd left on a lengthy job the other day… without sayin' goodbye to your grandfather, no less. Shameful, really."

"Shove it, old man," Laxus replied, a wicked grin on his face, and Makarov laughed. "And yeah, I'm planning on leaving for that job soon, but first I have something to give you…" Laxus reached into his coat's inner pocket and pulled out a letter, sealed with a magic seal that'd been burned onto the paper. "An old friend of mine recently got this into my hands, and he said that it's for you."

Makarov took the letter, and he could feel many eyes on him and his grandson as he looked at the seal. "Who exactly _is _this… _friend_ of yours?"

"Trust me, you've heard of him." Whispers spread across the hall, with many of the Fairy Tail members instantly intrigued by Laxus' words. Who could this mysterious stranger be? What could he want with the guild?

Makarov tore open the letter, and the magic seal vanished in a flash of yellow light. "So when the letter's opened, the sender can sense it… interesting," Makarov said as he opened the letter fully. He began to read, and the air around him was silent as every person in the hall waited anxiously for the details of the letter to be made known.

Makarov suddenly gasped, his eyes shooting open. "_The Devil of the Sands?!_"

"Yep," Laxus said, a smug smirk on his face. "He's a cool guy, as it so happens."

"He's also one of the most feared guildless wizard mercenaries in all of Fiore!" Makarov bellowed, and a chorus of gasps were heard from across the room, plus a request for a fight from a certain Fire Dragon Slayer. "He seriously wants to join the guild?.."

"I tried to recruit him when I first met him a couple of years ago… even back then he was immensely powerful, and I figured we could use him. Unfortunately, he didn't think he belonged in a guild." Laxus shrugged. "Times change though, and I guess after our fucking _awesome _performance in the Games," he yelled, inciting a cheer from the surrounding wizards, "he saw something that he could be a part of."

"Hmm," Makarov muttered, his head whirling. After a moment or two of silence, he smiled and said, "Well, he's certainly welcome to come pay us a visit, so we can better discuss his possible membership."

As the Guild Leader spoke those words, another magic seal appeared above the open letter, sending a beam of light straight up into the air, which passed harmlessly through the ceiling and into the sky above. Before Makarov or anyone else could react, a knock was heard upon the main doors to the Guild Hall.

* * *

"Holy crap, is what Sand-Devil guy here already?" Natsu hissed as he stood, Gray and Gajeel stepping up to be on either side of him.

"That beam must've been some sort of homing spell," Gray said.

"So the opening of the letter got his attention," Levy said, "and then the second seal showed him where to go! That's quite clever… this guy's no slouch."

"Well _duh_," Gajeel snarled, "even Makarov seemed intimidated, and that was only from this guy's reputation." Ignoring Levy's glare, the Dragon Slayer wove between the tables until he was standing right at the edge of the main path that led from the door, and the others followed suit.

Another knock rang through the air, and Makarov called out through the breathless silence, "Enter." The doors opened slowly, and though the bright sunlight was blinding for a moment, everyone's eyes soon adjusted so they could stare wide-eyed at the figure standing in the entryway.

The Devil of the Sands was tall and lean, wearing little clothing to hide his tan, muscular frame. His hair was dark brown and streaked with blonde, and it stuck up in wild, messy spikes, the longest jutting forwards. The lower half of his face was covered by tightly-wound bandages, which continued down over his neck until they ended almost all the way down his chest; however, his defined muscles were still clearly visible, and many of the female wizards swooned at the sight of his pectorals, abs and sharply-cut 'V', which vanished under his baggy, reddish-brown pants. A black belt tied them at his waist, and although they were quite voluminous, they were snug at their lower edges, ending just under his knees. His entire right arm and the visible part of his left leg were also bandaged, about which many of the present Fairy Tail members instantly asked: _why is he beat up so bad?_ However, it only took another moment before Lucy's eyes widened when they saw that his were fogged over, with only a hint of their blue hue showing through.

He's… _blind?_

"Alishar!" Laxus bellowed, a wide grin on his face as he crossed the hall to greet his old friend. "It's been too long, and we still have a fight to finish!"

"We both know who will end up victorious, Dreyar." Alishar's voice was cool and flat, carrying little emotion, but it was also quite calming as it drifted through the air of the hall. He raised his right hand, palm up, and Natsu's eyes narrowed when he saw sand whisper out from between the bandages, forming a small mound in his palm. Laxus stopped halfway across the hall, his arms crossed, as if he understood what the newcomer was up to.

The mysterious wizard suddenly leaned forward and blew on the sand he was holding, which whipped into the air and scattered across the room, vanishing almost instantly. No one moved for a few seconds, and a few people jumped as they felt small pricks against their skin. Alishar remained motionless as Laxus resumed his pace, saying, "It always blows my mind how you can do that."

"Do what, exactly?" Wakaba asked, waving one of the miniscule particles from his face. "What kind of wizard _is_ this guy?"

"I can detect where each grain of sand is," Alishar said, "as well as any objects near it, to some degree. It allows me to paint a mental image of my current location; in this case, your guild hall. We wouldn't want the poor little blind man running into tables, now would we?"

"So you like sand. _Cool_." Natsu stepped forward, and Alishar turned to face where the Dragon Slayer stood, though his frosted-over eyes seemed to merely look _through _him, which sent a chill up Natsu's spine. "But there's more to it than that," he said. "Something about you smells… familiar." He sniffed at the air. "I can't place it, though, which is _rare _for me, seeing as I have the schnoz of a champion."

Gajeel sighed and rolled his eyes. "As much as I hate to say it, I'm with the toasted douche-mallow on this one… you smell weird, stranger, so you'd better start talkin'."

"Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox, I presume?" Alishar asked, and when Laxus nodded behind him, he nodded as well, so Levy assumed that some of his sand was near the Lightning-wielder. "I've heard much of your exploits, Dragon Slayers. It is an honor to make your acquaintance." He held out his hand, and after a shared glance between the two Fairy Tail members, Natsu stepped forward and took it, the entirety of the guild looking on with bated breath.

As soon as their skin met, Natsu froze, and it felt as though a veil had been lifted from his senses. "Y-you…" he gasped. "_You're a_ _Dragon Slayer!_"

"I'm surprised you didn't smell it on me sooner," Alishar said softly, ignoring the whispers and shock-induced discussion that flew around the hall, "but my Desert Whisper tends to affect the senses of those around me. An unpleasant side-effect, but a necessary one if I'm to have any awareness of my immediate surroundings."

"So you're like Wendy and the others?" Cana asked from a nearby table.

"Yes, in some ways." Alishar turned to face Makarov once more, and the Guild Leader remained motionless, his eyes taking in every facet of the young wizard, from his aura to his body language. "I'm a Third Generation Dragon Slayer, like the twins of Sabertooth. I was raised by Decirox, the Sand Dragon and the Terror of the Golden Sea."

"That's right, kiddies," Laxus shouted, "the Sand Dragon Slayer's here to join our guild! We've got so many of us now," he added with a grin, "we should change the guild's name to Dragon Tail!"

"Wait wait wait," Macao said from his place at Master Makarov's side, "who says we're accepting this guy? I thought we weren't-"

"We aren't," Makarov interjected, "accepting random applicants. However, this young man's been a sought-after prize amongst Light and Dark guilds alike for years," he said in a hushed voice meant only for Macao and Gildarts, "so I hardly see any sense in turning him away."

"Plus I'd love to see what he's got," Gildarts said with a crooked smile.

Makarov looked back to Alishar. "All right, Mister?.."

"Just Alishar will be fine, thank you."

Makarov smiled. "Okay then, Alishar, if you'd be so kind as to come with me, we can discuss your membership and the way things work around here." The Slayer nodded, and headed towards the back of the room, bumping forearms with Laxus as he passed. "As for the rest of you," he bellowed, "can't you find something useful to do?"

* * *

After Alishar's dramatic entrance and his subsequent departure with Master Makarov, Laxus meant to sit and enjoy a drink, alone with his thoughts. Unfortunately for him, that was not to be.

"Where'd you meet that guy?" "Is he dangerous?" "Should we trust him?" "How strong is he?" "What's he like?"

"God _dammit_," he finally shouted, immensely irritated by the throng of curious wizards, "he's a Dragon Slayer and he wants to join our guild. I don't see how any of that other crap is within my rights to share with you idiots."

Though the crowd calmed down and began to disperse, a few wizards remained. Natsu was among them, and he said, "Oh c'mon Laxus, you can tell us more than that!"

"Don't we have reason to be skeptical of this guy?" Lucy added in a small voice. "He seemed… dark."

Laxus laughed, then set down his mug. "Yeah, I suppose he comes across that way." He spun on the stool to face those behind him, and even a few other wizards looked over, eager to hear more about the Sand Dragon Slayer. "I met Alishar on my first Ten-Year mission, which he'd apparently picked up from some other guild. We were both after this monster that'd been terrorizing anyone who passed into this one valley out west."

"Lemme tell ya, that Hydra was a _beast_. I managed to put a pretty sizable dent in it, but it bounced back even stronger and I knew that I was royally screwed if I didn't come up with a better plan. As much as it pained me to back down, I decided to amscray and come back once I figured somethin' out. When I was back in the nearby town the next day, I heard that another wizard had just left to take on the same monster, and I figured he'd be a goner." Laxus paused, taking another swig, and the wizards gathered around him were all attentively listening, practically hanging on every word. "Turns out, that other wizard went through the same rigamarole that I did, so I met up with him, and we decided that teaming up and splitting the reward would be our best shot at taking this thing down."

"So that wizard was Alishar?" Wendy asked in her fragile voice.

"Pfft _nope_," Laxus barked, and the Fairy Tail members around him all looked at each other in their confusion. "Anyway, when this wizard and I went back to fight the Hydra, well… it didn't go so well. Every time we so much as _scratched _that thing, it'd heal itself to be even stronger. After one hell of a fight, the wizard I'd teamed up with was _dead_, and I was cornered and drained of just about all of my magic energy."

"Right when I thought this thing was gonna do me in, I heard someone shout the name of a spell, and the dirt ground of the valley almost seemed to… dry up. One minute I'm about to get eaten like a chicken tender, and the next, I'm lying in the middle of a _desert _and the Hydra's gettin' sucked down into the sand as if the earth itself was munchin' on it."

"Damn… so Alishar sounds like a beast," Gray muttered, and Juvia nodded from her spot just behind him.

"His magic's just… different," Laxus said. "He's usually on the defensive, waiting for an opening to strike. Plus he was clever enough to figure out that as long as he didn't directly injure the Hydra, he could beat it… and it's still buried in that valley, thanks to him."

"So are you admitting that someone's stronger than you are?" Natsu laughed.

"Nope," Laxus said with a sharp glare. "I honestly don't know which of us would win in a full-on fight, but I'm sure that it'd be a fight for _both _of our lives."

"Well I for one am ready to throw down with this guy!" Natsu shouted, punching a smoldering fist into the air.

"Don't be so hasty," Gildarts said, and the group of younger wizards turned to see their Ace standing behind them. "This guy's taken jobs from dozens of guilds, legal and illegal, light and dark. He's dangerous, merciless and unrestrained by a normal sense of right and wrong. I'm not saying he's evil, and from what I've seen of him today, he seems trustworthy enough… but I wouldn't go challenging him so recklessly, Natsu. That goes for the lot of you." With that, Gildarts turned and left the hall, leaving the mob of wizards alone with their thoughts.

"Don't let that old man scare ya too much," Macao said, closing the door behind him as he returned from meeting with Alishar. "Makarov's already taken a shine to the new guy, and if the Master trusts him, then we all should."

"Alishar's been accepted?" Laxus asked. When Macao nodded, the Lightning wizard grinned. "Excellent! Now I can finally finish our draw! Where is he?"

"Makarov's showing him to one of the empty rooms in the men's dormitories," Mirajane said with a smile from the other end of the bar. "Now I think you should all find something to do to keep yourselves out of trouble, and leave the new member alone until he decides to come down and meet everyone." Gray and Gajeel groaned as Natsu stomped away, and Lucy breathed a sigh of relief as she trailed after Levy, who had her nose in a book and was walking next to Wendy.

As the crowd dispersed, Erza-who had remained out of the spotlight so far, watching the antics of her friends with a small smile on her face-got up from her seat and walked over to where Laxus and Macao stood. "I don't know if I trust this new wizard," she said dryly.

"Well, you'll have to learn to," Macao said. "After all… he's already earned a special honor here in the guild." When Laxus and Erza both looked at him quizzically, he went on, "Makarov had Alishar demonstrate a couple of his spells, and even had the young'n throw a couple his way… and he was _very _impressed."

"What're you getting at, Macao?" Laxus asked.

"Well, you see… Makarov could tell that Alishar's a top-tier wizard, so he already… bumped him up, if you partake my meaning."

"Wait _just a minute_!" The three wizards turned to see Natsu storming towards them, his arms ablaze and his eyes flashing dangerously. "Are you trying to say that that guy walked in here _ten minutes ago_, and Master Makarov already made him _S-CLASS?!_"

"_I'm gonna KILL THAT SAND-FLINGIN' BASTARD!_"

* * *

**I'd like to apologize in advance for the fact that this fic might move a bit slow for the first chapter or two. I feel like the canonical characters of Fairy Tail are so developed and rounded that I need to take a decent amount of time to bring my OC into the story. Also, a friend of mine (accurately) accused me of portraying Alishar as overpowered, but don't worry, that will soon be done away with as well.**

**Now that that's out of the way, be sure to leave a review! Criticism is more than welcome! Oh, and if you wanna see what happens next, be sure to favorite/alert it! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**All righty then, here's Chapter 2 of _The Dragon of the Sands_. Hope you like it, and R&R!**

* * *

"Are you sure this is such a good idea, Natsu?" Lucy asked. She, Gray, Gajeel and Levy were practically running to try and keep up with the Fire Dragon, and Erza followed a short way behind them, rolling her eyes at Natsu's foolishness.

"Of course I'm sure!" Natsu growled. "After all we had to go through to try and reach the S-Class-without any of us succeeding, even-this chump has no right to waltz in here and pass us like that! Right, Happy?"

"Aye!" the blue Exceed said from just over his right shoulder.

Gajeel snorted. "Personally, I don't think I'm gonna mind watching the 'Devil of the Sands' wipe the floor with our favorite hot-head," he said.

"I second that," Gray said, and Lucy giggled, unaware of the glare she was receiving from Juvia, who was hiding behind a nearby potted plant.

The motley group soon reached the men's dorms, and after demanding to know which room Alishar was in from a confused Freed, Natsu found the correct room and started banging on the door. "Open up!" he yelled.

After a few moments, the door opened to reveal Natsu's target, who sighed and ran a hand back through his tousled hair. "I'm busy unpacking my things, so this isn't the best time, Dragneel. Could you please make this quick?"

Natsu's eyes roared with barely-caged fire, and with a harsh voice he hissed, "_I challenge you_."

The hall was silent, and Alishar blinked, his blank eyes looking over Natsu's head at the door across the hall. Finally, he said, "As I said, this isn't the best time. Perhaps another day." He moved to close the door, but Natsu's hand slapped against the wood, stopping it in its path.

"You've got a lot of nerve, walking into our guild and skipping right up to S-Class like some sort of spoiled kid," Natsu growled, and everyone in the hall-including Alishar-seemed surprised at the young wizard's aggression. "If you want to be welcome here, you've gotta prove yourself, and a throw-down with me will get ya somewhere on that front."

"Just try not to kill him," Gray said. "Though I hate to admit it, he's useful in a fight."

Alishar was quiet for a moment, then a sigh was heard from under his bandages. "All right, I'll humor you," he said. "Where would you like to do this?"

"The sparring grounds out back will do," Natsu said, already walking down the hall. "Be there in an hour."

Alishar's Desert Whisper-a technique where especially small grains of sand constantly surround the user in an invisible cloud, which cannot be felt by others but allows for the user to form a 'bubble' where they can sense objects and their movements-told him that Natsu was gone, but that his friends were still in front of his door. "Is he always like this?" he asked, and he sensed that some of them jumped. "Yes, I know you're all still here," he went on, smirking under his bandages.

"Yep, that's Natsu for ya," one of them said. Alishar could 'see' her, but the most he could pick up was height, size, and dimensions, the last of which impressed him when he focused on her. "So Alishar," the same woman said, "why don't you come back down to the hall before your match? I'm sure everyone wants to meet you!"

Alishar shrugged. "I might come down in a little while," he said, "but I was serious when I said I was busy unpacking."

"Would you like a hand with that?" another voice asked, this one coming from a shorter, less endowed female wizard.

"Just because I am blind does not mean that I am helpless," Alishar said coolly. "Now if you'll all excuse me, my room is a mess."

After the door was closed in their faces, the group headed back down the hall towards the entrance to the men's dorms. "Nice, Levy," Gajeel said, "you pissed off the Devil!"

"Shut it, you big lug," she said, sliding her glasses back up her nose. Lucy saw the blunette's cheeks go a bit pink when Gajeel laughed, and when she nudged her friend's arm, she almost snorted at the _vicious _glare she received.

* * *

Mirajane was behind the counter at the bar in the main hall like usual, cleaning a glass and smiling as she looked out at the wizards who called this place home. Cana was at the end of the bar, and between glasses she seemed to be glancing at Laxus an awful lot, who was chatting with Gildarts about new high-risk missions.

"Can I get a glass of water?" Mirajane almost jumped when she turned to see the Sand Dragon Slayer sitting before her, his eyes closed and his fingers interlocked on the counter.

"Certainly," the white-haired wizard said, pouring him a glass and setting it down before him. As the wizard took a sip from it, she said, "It's Alishar, right? I've heard of you, you know."

Alishar set his glass down. "And I've heard of you, Mirajane Strauss," he said, making her eyes go wide. "Though I _obviously _haven't seen any of them, I've been told that your photo shoots are quite spectacular, and Laxus told me that you're a fellow S-Class wizard." He cocked his head slightly. "So what've you heard about me?"

Mira was still a bit off-guard from the fact that he could tell who she was without being able to see her, so it took her a second to get her thoughts together; being unable to look away from his pale, frosted-over eyes wasn't helping either. "W-well, I've heard that the Devil of the Sands is a brutal and dangerous independent wizard who shows up in guild halls, takes their highest-ranking jobs, and then vanishes. He's also feared for being an... _exterminator_ of rogue wizards." Mira laughed nervously, and Alishar could sense her heart-rate increasing. "You're quite infamous, sir!"

Alishar laughed, leaning forward slightly as if he was now a bit more relaxed. "Please, such formalities are hardly necessary for me, Miss Strauss, as is your fear of me. Alishar will do just fine."

"And Mirajane is plenty for me," she said with a smile.

"Sure thing, Miss Strauss." When she shook her head and sighed, she heard him chuckle under his breath. "While I'll admit my reputation is… _somewhat_ deserved, I'm here because I wish to join this guild and experience your well-known camaraderie, which is quite new for me. However, I'm… not particularly good with meeting people, and I'm not one for crowds."

"Well I'd be glad to help!" Mirajane said with a smile. "So I presume you use your Sand Magic to sense your surroundings, including other people?" Alishar nodded. "Well I could at least tell you everyone's names, and maybe a little something about them to get you started! How does that sound?"

The bandaged man spun on his stool to face the rest of the guild hall, then said, "Just tell me where they're standing in relation to the rest of the room, and I'll be able to tell who's who."

"Let's get started!" Mira said excitedly as she walked around the bar to sit next to Alishar. She was only in her seat for a moment before a strange sensation came over her; however, she pushed it aside as she began.

"Well, over at the other end of the bar is Cana Alberona…"

* * *

After thanking Mirajane for her time, Alishar left the main guild hall, his head stuffed full of names, personality traits and relationships. _They're a wild bunch, that's for sure_, he thought, his thumbs looped around his belt. _This is certainly gonna take some getting used to… _

The Slayer was snapped out of his reverie when he reached a junction of hallways and heard someone calling his name. Turning slightly, he focused his Whisper down the hall to his left and detected a number of familiar figures running towards him.

"Hey, Alishar!" one of them yelled as the group grew near. The speaker was the busty one from earlier, and her short friend was at her side, with the Iron Dragon and an oddly cold young man standing a bit behind them. Off to the side was someone who smelled like another Dragon Slayer, and a small mammal of some kind was standing on her head.

"Hello," the sand-user said. "Before you go off on what I'm sure will be an interesting tirade, would you all be so kind as to introduce yourselves? I'm trying to learn everyone's names, and put them to faces… so to speak."

"Well I'm Lucy Heartfilia," the taller female said, "and these are my friends Levy McGarden, Wendy Marvell and Gray Fullbuster."

"And you've already sorta met me," Gajeel said gruffly.

"Indeed." Alishar quickly tagged each person's name to their unique body shape, so he'd be able to recognize them in the future. "So I believe it's almost time for me to go and spar with your guildmate," he said.

"You mean _our _guild-mate, right?" Alishar turned to face the smallest of the group, who giggled. "Come on then, we'll show you where the grounds are!" the young girl said, who he firgured to be Wendy. Alishar nodded, and he was soon being swept along by the group of young wizards, who seemed content with allowing him to sit back and listen as they inanely chatted about recent goings-on at the guild.

A few minutes passed before the group arrived at a large door, which Gajeel pushed open to reveal the large, open area behind the guild hall. Alishar's senses went haywire for a moment while he compensated for the breeze, but it wasn't long before he was able to 'see' the large tree towering above him, and the people crowded in the shade of its branches. He felt a tug at his sleeve, and when he turned slightly, he heard Wendy say, "Looks like the whole guild's out here to see your fight with Natsu!"

"Wonderful," Alishar groaned; it was only his first day, and he was already drawing _far _too much attention to himself for his liking. Regardless, he made his way towards what appeared to be an empty area on the other side of the crowd, which parted before him so he could pass through easily. _Oh, and they're treating me like a cripple… how lovely_, Alishar thought, fighting to suppress his irritation.

"You ready to party, newbie?" Natsu bellowed, watching Alishar walk across the sparring field towards his 'starting end'. The Fire Dragon Slayer was smoking slightly, his fists already bundled in flames in anticipation of their brawl.

"I hope you realize what you're up against," Alishar said calmly. "I may not've come here looking for trouble, but I'm not one for holding back either."

"Pfft, don't think that cheating your way into S-Class makes you better than the rest of us," Natsu said, a cocky grin on his face. "I'm gonna kick your butt to the moon and back!"

As the two wizards faced off, Makarov came up to stand beside Laxus, who was looking on in rapturous glee. "What do you make of this, Laxus?" the Guild Leader asked.

"Let's just say that I don't think this'll take too long," Laxus said with a wicked smile. "Don't get me wrong, Natsu's got spunk, and he knows how to dish it out… but he's in way over his head with this guy."

Lucy, who was standing only a few feet away, overheard Laxus and immediately grew nervous. _Oh geez, I hope Natsu doesn't get hurt… why does he always have to get himself into trouble like this… _Shaking her head, she turned to her best friend, who was standing next to her with a book under her arm. "What do you think, Levy? Should someone stop this before it gets out of hand?"

"I think you need to relax," Levy said, smirking when she saw how shaken her blonde friend appeared to be. "Natsu can take care of himself! You know that as well as I do… but perhaps you have another reason for being worried about him?.."

Flushing bright red, Lucy turned away and crossed her arms, ignoring Levy's snickering. "I am _not _worried about him! I just… what if there's collateral damage? What if something happens to the guild hall?"

"I know for a fact that no one wrecks a guild hall better than I do," Gajeel said with a crooked grin, earning a jab in the ribs from Levy, who's glare made him recoil into Gray, who rolled his eyes and proceeded to strip. The Iron Dragon laughed nervously. "What? Too soon?"

Levy huffed and turned back towards the sparring grounds, and Gajeel frowned. "I think that's a yes," Gray said, and Lucy laughed as Gajeel Iron-Clubbed Gray up into the tree.

Erza stalked out onto the packed dirt, standing between Alishar and Natsu with a stern expression on her regal features. "All right gentlemen, if you're gonna insist on going through with this, let's at least keep it clean, okay?"

"Fine by me," Natsu growled, and his opponent nodded. Off to one side of the main crowd, Mirajane and her sister Lisanna stood side by side, both watching nervously as Natsu cracked his knuckles, sending sparks tumbling into the air. _I hope he doesn't get hurt, _the younger Strauss thought, her pale hands clasped against her chest. _That guy's the real deal…_

_Please, Alishar, _Mirajane thought, _I don't want to see either of you in pain… please just back out!_

Natsu's glare flew through the air like daggers, but they fell uselessly at Alishar's feet, who stood silent and still, his right foot bare against the dirt and his left wrapped in its spotless white bandages. "I'm fired up now, Sand-Devil," Natsu said, "so I hope you're ready for this!"

Alishar blinked, and with a bored expression on the visible part of his face, he lowered his gaze so his eyes looked right through Natsu's chest; when he sensed the younger wizard flinch, he grinned under his bandages, a wickedly sharp canine pricking at his lower lip.

"Shall we?"


End file.
